Happy Birthday to me

Last Friday was my birthday. I feared the worst since it landed on Friday the 13th. But nothing happened. Nothing at all. My birthday came and went just like any other day. At least I didn't spend it completely alone like I did last year. It was a chill rather uneventful event.

My mom actually took the day off from work to spend the day with me. She's never done that before. I'm pretty sure it was because it's been 4 years since the last time I was home for my birthday. Once I was in Italy. The next two times I was in LA. And last year was spent in Boston.

The day started early with breakfast in Laguna Beach. She took me to Las Brisas, a cliff side restaurant with an amazing view of the ocean; it's one of my favorite restaurants. Later in the day, my grandparents treated me to lunch. My first choice was Fisherman's, a restaurant on the San Clemente pier. My grandma wasn't too keen on the idea of sitting outside since it was a bit chilly, so I was asked to make another choice. Instead I opted for another San Clemente restaurant -- Avila's El Ranchito, an upscale Mexican place. I had been there for drinks once before (hi, Leya!), but had never eaten there.

And that pretty much sums up my day. I spent the rest of the day relaxing and reading the incoming birthday messages on Facebook. As usual, my godparents called to wish me a happy birthday but no one else in my family did. No need to pity me or say "awww...." I'm used to it by now. In fact, I haven't even received a birthday present from any of them since my 16th birthday. You see, the rule is the following: No party, no presents. I haven't wanted a party all these years because I finally got tired of not being the guest of honor at my own party; no one pays any attention to me and all my music is vetoed.

The one highlight of my day was getting a call from a dear friend. I've known her for most of my life, but we had a falling out last year. Nothing dramatic; we simply lost touch and I did little to remedy the situation. She was right to get upset with me. I surely sounded a bit emotional on the phone, but I was just so happy to hear the voice of one of my best friends after a year of silence. "You think I'd forget your birthday?" she said. They were the sweetest words I could have hoped for.

The next day, however, was the true momentous occasion. Like last year and the year before, I asked to see a show for my birthday. So my parents took me to go see the show of my choosing. I saw RENT with Adam Pascal as Roger and Anthony Rapp as Mark. They originated those roles, so it was amazing to get to see the original stars of the show. Mostly, however, I (as well as my sister) was very excited to get to see a live performance by Adam Pascal. I'm a big fan of his (as is my sis, but she mostly just thinks he's hot). We still can't believe we actually got to see him in a show. The biggest surprise of the night was that my parents actually enjoyed the show. My mother (aka She Who Likes Nothing) really liked it and thought its realism was great. They even "moo'd" during the "Jump Over the Moon" scene!

So that's it. My birthday in a nutshell. Would I have loved to go out with all my friends? Of course. Unfortunately, my friends are scattered all over and it would have been too difficult to organize. Plus, my coolest peeps are all on the East Coast (you know who you are).

Ciao for now,

- R